The obstacles to UFC fighters’ unionisation

This article examines the prospect of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters forming a certified trade union and entering into collective bargaining with the UFC.

• It first provides an overview of the UFC’s development from fringe spectacle to mainstream sport and the current economic relationship between the promotion and fighters.

• It then provides a history of unionisation efforts, before assessing the legal obstacles fighters must overcome in order to get the UFC to the bargaining table.

• It concludes with a discussion of the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act, [1] which would extend economic protections that apply to professional boxers to their counterparts in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA),[2] and is seen by many as a legislative alternative to labour organising.